Elder Scrolls Online - Interview and New Gameplay Video

Later this year, Bethesda Softworks and Zenimax Online will be releasing The Elder Scrolls Online. I recently got to play some of the beta and be part of a group interview (apologies for the camera position and audio but it was a very small room with 6 people from different countries asking questions). There is also some brand new gameplay footage in the video, including never before seen first person views! Enjoy.

I'm interested in all (decent) things TESO but this video isn't it. The Bethesda dude has this look on his face early that summarizes how I feel about what I could tolerate watching.

The video and audio are poor quality and the questions being asked are of similarly poor quality.

I stopped watching after a minute or two…and I'm betting the Bethesda dude wishes he could've stopped participating at around that same point.

This falls under the just because anybody can make and post videos doesn't mean they should category along with the just because a couple of random people put together a website it doesn't make them the gaming press or remotely viewable/readable.

For people who don't want to watch it (taken from mmorpg forums, I fixed two things in it though):

ESO was primarily designed as an Elder Scrolls multiplayer, not a full blown MMO.

Players known to the series will recognize the lore and the combat from previous games. You will not have to had played TES 1-5 to play tis.

Currently you can join 5 player-made guilds.

They’ve always looked at what other games are doing, but are focusing on making their own game the best they can.

They’re not talking about their revenue model yet.

Completing every quest in the game currently will take approximately 150 hours per faction based on internal testing. Dungeons, PvP and such is not included in this calculation.

If large public events happen, expect them in Cyrodiil.

PvP is territory-based, not arena-based.

Elder Scrolls is not about e-sports.

There are locations that you will return to throughout the game, old areas and Coldharbour etc.

Tutorial is being mentioned as “the prison part”.

"Yeah, we’re working on our end-game PvE right now, so yes it will be large group-based. But don’t think World of Warcraft-raids, because Elder Scrolls doesn’t have 50 foot tall gods that you go fight against, it just don’t, it’s not what we do. So it will be different, but it will be group-PvE. We might not call it “raid” but it’s definitely endgame group-PvE."

Major Guilds will add skill lines and they all function as character progression at endgame. They will have quests throughout your leveling process, however.

Mounts are confirmed (duh?), standard ES horses with various speeds. You will be able to stable and upgrade them. Full specs to be released later on.

Release has been said to be during 2013, but they’re going to release when they’re done. Currently 2 months into closed beta with a couple of thousand testers (not internal).

They’re not planning localization for the Italian market at launch, instead focusing on French, German and English.

Beta-feedback so far has been really good. Apparently the bridge between TES RPG and MMO has been the big conversation over on the beta-forums. Firor indicates that ES-players will have an easier first experience than MMO-players.

For “important NPC’s” you will be phased in with that NPC, and not see other players. In some way.

Consequences in quests will be fun and everlasting. Depending on your choices some NPCs might show up elsewhere in the world, and help or harm your efforts.

There will be vanity items. Honest-to-god-Firor-quote: “You can’t have an MMO without cool pets and stuff like that…

Another interview talked about the mount upgrades. You have to feed your mount and what ever you give them will affect what upgrades they get…